Freedom Fighters #5

Uncle Sam, the living embodiment of the American spirit, has been awakened...but will he recognize the country he left behind? Sam has reemerged to discover his beloved nation overrun with fascists and the huddled masses he fought so hard to protect marginalized and under the iron grip of an evil regime mad with power and willing to do ANYTHING to preserve it. Even with the help of the Freedom Fighters, can the spirit of America hope to survive the titanic forces of oppression? Plus: the return of the one Nazi weapon that's faster than a speeding bullet and more powerful than anything the resistance could hope to put in his way: the mighty Overman!more

If you've ever been a fan of DC's Freedom Fighters and Elseworlds this book is for you, and even if not this is just a solidly satisfying comic book experience that combines superheroes with alternative history. Read Full Review

Assuming the streaming service still remains viable a year from now I could see this series easily translating to a very captivating show on DC Universe. It's got a compelling serialized nature that would do well in a TV format. Read Full Review

A great issue that's filled with action, reveals about a major classic hero, and good progress to the overall plot. If you've ever wondered what it means to be patriotic, give this comic a read. It's an entertaining escape that harbors deeper meaning. Read Full Review

All the pieces are in place for this series now and I couldn't be happier because on top of getting all our heroes together now, we also have a pretty impressive villain being presented that could change the game for our heroes. Just a lot of fun, while it catches people up on who and what Uncle Sam is, while giving us amazing art the whole way through Read Full Review

This title continues to provide a deeper look at the meaning of freedom and how it impacts the world. The notion of Uncle Sam as the Spirit of '76 is an idea that is worthy of more exploration. Venditti is not afraid to show the mistakes made by the United States in its history, and it feeds right into the idea of freedom in 2019. Venditti finds a truth that is present in the philosophical ideals, despite the errors of humans. Read Full Review

This would work better if there was a real sense of build up to these big moments as well as a good amount of character development along with it. I don't just care because they say I should, or because they're fighting Nazis and everyone hates Nazis. I need something here. The idea of people rising up against their oppressors is an easy one to get people invested in, but somehow this comic is failing to do so.

DC has really dropped the ball at the moment with too many terrible and inaccessible titles trying to win the alternative market. Even ongoing series like Batgirl have begun to smell off and the boring titles like Young Justice that promised so much and left you cold. This is by far the best title DC is offering I really enjoy the story, character interactions, and the art work all brilliant

This is such a frustrating series. There is plenty of good stuff that is just waiting for its potential to be realised, but at present it just feels so-so. The lack of proper character development is a huge drawback and makes it difficult to care about the Freedom Fighters: none of them are in any way memorable or distinct from each other aside from their different powers. That isn't enough to make them individual; if all that distinguishes them is the superficiality of superpowers then they become completely interchangeable and serve only to provide deus ex machina resolutions to situations. This has always been the risk with superheroes if not well written. Equally I want more than a dog whistle villain. Yes, the Nazis were terrible, but unless you show us why this particular iteration are so awful then they too just become a plot cipher.

We are almost half way through this series now and time is running out to make it what it truly could be. I fear that Venditti may have squandered the opportunity here to make something special and memorable.more